Chapter 11: …

I awoke to the sound of dripping water, I opened one eye, Where was I? I was in a circular room not unlike my own at Moonacre Manor except it was painted with blood red clouds and the room's key color was red. The sound of dripping water came from the ceiling as it dropped into a pail that laid on the floor.

"Ah it seems my little princess is finally awake." sneered a voice to my left, I quickly glanced the direction the voice had come from. "Dervil." I said coldly, I squinted to see the middle-aged lord. "Now that you've ripped me from my home, what do you want?" the Lord's face pinched unpleasantly "You will learn to talk POLITELY and REVERENTLY to your future ruler," raising his hand he stuck my a cross the cheek, I held my face in alarm. "You pig, like I would EVER let you rule me." I glared at him, the Lord smiled. "You won't have much of a choice, I could just kill your Robin now and be done with it." I froze,

"You wouldn't"

"Ah, my dear Maria, but I would if you decide not give me what a want." I didn't doubt it. I slumped forward, what was I going to do? "What do you want?" I said through my gritted teeth, "I just need the pearls, natures favor, and your power." he said like it was the most simplest thing in the world, I scoffed at him, for one nature favored ME not him, for two I had no power and the pearls were in the Sea. "Those are some impossible tasks, you idiotic lord." I expected him to hit me again, but he just sneered at me. "Its a good thing i'm not doing them then isn't it? Walk with me." He grabbed my arm and dragged me off the bed and out the door into a dreary courtyard full of dead plants. Dervil sucked in alot of air as if he were taking a puff of a cigar, "Beautiful isn't it?" I shuddered "I wouldn't say that." I muttered under my breath, Dervil kept an almost painful grip on my arm, "Well enough chitchat. Lets cut to the chase, I need you to retrieve those moon pearls from the ocean." I stared at him shocked "I can't. They are in the - you know OCEAN!"

"Well if your so-called nature really loves you, it will protect you." he definitely had me there. "Well I refuse."

This is where Dervil cracked a smile, "You won't refuse, because I have something special of yours that i'm afraid you won't want to lose." my jaw dropped as they pulled a struggling Robin out of the castle he had a nasty looking bruise blossoming on his high cheek bones, my eyes met his familiar hazel. "No!" I whispered "Robin... you were safe..." my breath hitched and I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Princess, like I could ever let you be in danger." Robin's eyes settled gently on me, I looked back at him my greenish-blue never leaving him. But before I could react a sack was thrown over Robin's head, then one over my own.

Robin and I were jostled then thrown in the back of what I presumed to be a hay wagon, the wagon inclined upwards and jerked, and I knew without a doubt where we were going. After a while my wrists ached painfully and the jostling would leave me sore tomorrow, that is if I lived until tomorrow. Wow, that was a depressing thought. Finally the wagon pulled to a halt and the sack was pulled off my head, I squinted at the sudden light of the setting sun, wait setting sun? How long had it took exactly to travel up here? Looking out over the familiar expanse that I had tumbled from only eight months ago I shivered, was I really destined to fall off the craggy cliff once more over those blasted pearls? One of Dervils men grabbed me by the arm and pushed me towards the cliff edge, but Dervil gave me a once over "She can't complete the ceremony in that rag." I looked down at my now ripped and dirty gown that had once been so beautiful "Prepare the dress we brought." A handmaiden - old and wizened - stepped from out of no where holding a red and black piece of cloth. "Come along." she barked and me and I followed her behind some rocks where she roughly stripped me and dressed me in the red gown, it was pretty but I was not going to let myself be charmed. I was shoved back out towards the edge where I looked down at the familiar dark waters lapping at the craggy rock face.

A/N -

Sorry for the taking so long with updates. Will post Chapter 12 because its done as well.

-LittleWriterGirl-